


Walk of Atonement

by KyluxFicHell



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Game of Thrones References, M/M, Public Humiliation, Self conscious Kylo, Supportive Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyluxFicHell/pseuds/KyluxFicHell
Summary: “Kylo Ren comes before you,” Hux says, voice clear and unwavering, “Master of the Knights of Ren, apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke. His failure allowed the escape of a Resistance prisoner, and her subsequent destruction of Starkiller Base. He has confessed his failures to the Supreme Leader, and begged for forgiveness. To demonstrate his repentance, he will cast aside all pride, all artifice, and present himself to you, the crew of the Finalizer. He comes before you with a solemn heart, naked before you, to make his walk of atonement.”Based on the prompt: Snoke makes Kylo walk naked through the Finalizer in a Game of Thrones style walk of atonement as punishment for his failure on Starkiller. He’s completely humiliated and thinks that Hux will be relishing every moment, but Hux supports him through the whole ordeal and whispers words of encouragement to him and praises him for taking his punishment so well. Bonus if this is because Hux also had to do a walk of atonement as punishment before Kylo came to the Finalizer.





	

After his failure at Starkiller Base, Kylo expects his punishment to be painful and cruel. He is not disappointed.

“You will make your walk of atonement,” Snoke tells him, “before the crew of the Finalizer. You will cast aside your pride and present yourself to the very people you have failed in order to demonstrate your repentance.”

Kylo bows his head, trying to keep the tremble from his voice. “Yes, Master.”

He does not dare glance to his right, where he is sure Hux is smirking with glee. He knows the General must be taking great pleasure in this, and soon will bear witness to Kylo’s humiliation.

“General, you will oversee Kylo Ren’s walk of atonement,” Snoke continues, addressing Hux. “If he uses the Force or harms the crew in any way, I should like to be informed. This punishment will test his humility and pride.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” is all Hux says in response. “I will brief the crew.”

Kylo does not dare to say anything else and anger his Master further. He knows he has failed and he must accept his punishment, no matter how painful or humiliating. He tries to tell himself that this will make him stronger, that this will remind him of his failure with the girl and will give him the strength to defeat her next time.

As they are both dismissed though, his heart is heavy and he finds himself feeling anxious for what is to come. He is glad that he is wearing his mask to cover his flushed face; he knows he will not be allowed such a luxury tomorrow.

**********

Kylo tries to meditate before he is due to make his walk of atonement, but it is no use. His heart is pounding with nervousness and he despises himself for being so weak. _Master of the Knights of Ren_ , he thinks, _terrified of a little walk_. 

When Hux arrives at his quarters to escort him to the bridge, his face is unreadable. He seems to notice Kylo’s nervousness, but says nothing of it.

“Are you ready?” Hux asks, his voice not betraying his emotions (although Kylo is sure he must be enjoying this immensely).

Kylo straightens and pulls the cloak around himself a little tighter. He is naked underneath and for now it is his only protection. “Yes. I am ready.”

“Very well. The crew are gathered and waiting. We will begin on the bridge and you will walk the length of the ship. The Supreme Leader ordered me to ensure that the crew would be spread out along the entire route.”

Kylo is sure he is imagining it, but Hux looks almost apologetic. The Finalizer is a mile long and Kylo knows it will take him at least twenty minutes to walk it. He feels his face flushing already as he thinks of every officer he’s ever threatened, every stormtrooper he’s ever choked, _watching_ him.

“Ren,” Hux’s voice interrupts his thoughts. “It’s time.”

Hux escorts him to the bridge via the lesser used corridors, thankfully remaining silent for most of the walk. As they’re about to enter the bridge though, Hux turns to him with a strange expression on his face.

“Ren,” Hux says almost softly. “I would like you to know that I think this a…cruel…and unnecessary punishment. I would wish it on no one, not even you.”

Kylo can’t hide the surprise from his face, especially without his mask. He was under the impression that Hux would take great pleasure seeing him humiliated in front of the entire crew of the Finalizer, yet the sincerity of the General’s tone seems to suggest otherwise. Kylo wonders if Hux had the balls to voice these opinions to the Supreme Leader- he suspects not.

When they enter the bridge, there is silence among the crew. Kylo knows that many have never seen him without his mask before- many simply know him as the terrifying hulking presence with mystical powers, not the vulnerable young man they see before him. And now they will see all of him. Every imperfection, every insecurity laid bare before them. They will see _everything_.

As they take their place in front of the crew, Hux clears his throat to address them.

“Kylo Ren comes before you,” Hux says, voice clear and unwavering, “Master of the Knights of Ren, apprentice to Supreme Leader Snoke. His failure allowed the escape of a Resistance prisoner, and her subsequent destruction of Starkiller Base. He has confessed his failures to the Supreme Leader, and begged for forgiveness. To demonstrate his repentance, he will cast aside all pride, all artifice, and present himself to you, the crew of the Finalizer. He comes before you with a solemn heart, naked before you, to make his walk of atonement.”

When Hux finishes his speech he turns his head slightly to look at Kylo, but Kylo keeps his gaze fixed ahead, focused on a spot on the opposite wall. He will not give Hux the satisfaction. He has readied himself for what comes next.

Hux reaches for the clasp of Kylo’s cloak, loosening it quickly and pulling the material from Kylo’s shoulders to pool at his feet.

Kylo resists the urge to shiver as the cool air meets his bare skin, and to cover himself with his hands. He stands naked before the crew, trying to ignore the eyes boring into his skin. He steps out of the pile of material as he is expected to, allowing a lieutenant to gather it up behind him.

“Alright, let’s get this over with, Ren,” Hux says quietly, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Kylo takes a deep breath and composes himself. As they begin to walk through the parted crowd, Kylo thinks of the countless times they have walked across this bridge together, side by side. He wonders what the General must think of him now.

Kylo stares straight ahead as they walk, trying to ignore that his face is burning red with humiliation, but thankful that the crew on the bridge have remained silent. As they exit the bridge to continue their journey across the ship, however, Kylo is met with the first jeer.

“Whore!”

The one voice echoes loudly in the corridor, and Kylo is ashamed at himself for flinching slightly. Hux does not react. As part of the ritual the crew are permitted to jeer and throw insults; in fact it is encouraged by the Supreme Leader. It is simply another part of the test to build Kylo’s resilience and accept criticism from those he has failed.

“Slut!” another voice cries.

“Failure!”

“Cocksucker!”

More and more voices join in as the crowd begins to gather courage, having been briefed that they would not be reprimanded for this and that Kylo would not be able to use his powers.

Hux leans in to whisper something in Kylo’s ear, and for a moment Kylo expects him to add his own insult, but instead all he says is, “You’re doing well, Ren.”

Kylo finds himself surprised; he’d thought the General would be thriving on his humiliation, but Hux keeps his expression blank and does not join in as the jeering grows louder. He does not even react when some of the jeers are directed at him, although not insulting him directly.

“Fuck him, General!”

“Yeah, show him where he belongs!”

“Fuck him up the ass!”

It takes all of Kylo’s self control not to choke every single person they pass to death. He wants to throw them all against the walls, to summon his lightsaber and impale them with the searing heat.

“Who would want to fuck him with a face like that? No wonder he wears the mask!”

Kylo feels the tears begin to sting his eyes, but convinces himself that he will not cry in front of the crew. He will not give them the satisfaction.

“Yeah, fucking huge nose-”

“General, fuck him from behind-”

“Trying to be like fucking Darth Vader, what a fucking loser-”

The tears slide down Kylo’s cheeks without warning and he hates himself for his weakness. He has never felt so humiliated, embarrassed and ashamed in all his life. As they continue their journey across the ship, the jeers and insults only seem to become louder and more vile. The noise is almost deafening, but Kylo can still catch the words as they are shouted at him, reigning down on him like blaster fire. He has been in battles that these people wouldn’t last five seconds in, he has defeated some of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, and yet _this_ is what gets under his skin. _Words_.

“You’re doing so well, Ren,” Hux whispers in his ear when Kylo chokes out a sob after someone yells something about _Han Solo_. “We’re nearly there.”

Kylo had thought that having the General beside him for this would only add to his humiliation, but instead he finds Hux’s presence oddly comforting. Every so often Hux will whisper words of encouragement or praise, and Kylo finds it surprisingly reassuring.

“We’re close now,” Hux says gently, “keep going; we’re so close. The Supreme Leader will be proud.”

Kylo knows how he must look; tears streaming down his face, cheeks blotchy and red, a body as displeasing to look at as his face. He does not know how he will ever be able to look anyone onboard this ship in the eye again. He knows this is another part of the test- gaining the crew’s respect again, now that they have seen him reduced to this.

When they eventually complete the walk, Kylo finds himself dragged to a private corridor, where Hux drapes the cloak around him.

“Well done,” Hux says gently, as Kylo pulls the cloak tightly around himself. “You performed admirably.”

Kylo sniffs and wipes his face with one hand, his vision blurry. “I want to go to my quarters.”

“Of course,” Hux replies softly. “I’ll escort you.”

They walk along the corridor in silence, save for the heavy thud of Hux’s boots and the soft patter of Kylo’s bare feet, the crew’s jeers still ringing in Kylo’s head.

When they reach Kylo’s door, he punches in the code quickly, desperate to get inside.

“Ren,” Hux says gently. “Are you…alright? Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” Kylo replies, not sure which question he is answering.

Hux observes him with soft eyes. “Would you like me to stay?”

“Leave me alone, General,” Kylo spits, stumbling into his quarters without glancing at Hux.

That night, he spends nearly an hour in the refresher, before falling into bed and crying himself to sleep.

**********

Hux, the interfering fool that he is, visits Kylo’s quarters the following evening after his shift.

“What part of _leave me alone_ do you not understand?” Kylo says through gritted teeth, glad to have his mask (and his clothes) back in the General’s presence.

“I’m checking in on you,” Hux replies with a roll of his eyes. “After yesterday’s…ordeal.”

“We will not discuss this ever again,” Kylo says quickly, feeling his annoyance begin to grow. “I would advise you and your men to not raise this subject with me in future.”

“Fine,” Hux scoffs. “Fine. Sit here and wallow in the darkness. Forgive me for caring about your wellbeing. It’s not as if _I’d_ understand. It’s not as if _I’ve_ borne that punishment before.”

Hux’s words make Kylo stop for a moment, considering the implications.

“You…” Kylo struggles to keep the surprise from his voice. “You’ve made the walk of atonement?”

Hux’s cheeks flush red, but he maintains his composure. “Yes. Before you came aboard the Finalizer.”

Kylo tries to imagine Snoke putting Hux through the same punishment. He tries to imagine Hux walking the length of the ship naked before his crew, face emotionless as they shout jeers and insults at him.

“I don’t believe you.”

Hux looks at him defiantly. “See for yourself then.”

Kylo takes the permission he is given and delves into Hux’s mind, locating the memory that is being offered. He sees Hux, looking a little younger than he is now, standing before his crew, his slim pale body on display for all to see.

“Your father was there?” Kylo asks in bewilderment.

“Yes.” Hux replies in a clipped tone. “He was there while my own crew told me how poor a leader I was, while they called me a whore and a cocksucker and every single other insult they unleashed upon you yesterday.”

Kylo is silent, digesting this information.

“I have to say, you bore your punishment with far more dignity and grace than I did mine.” Hux offers a small smile.

Kylo scoffs. “I thought you would have been thrilled at the sight of me like that yesterday.”

A pink tinge makes its way across Hux’s cheeks. “I take no pleasure in your embarrassment or discomfort, Ren.” His eyes fix on Kylo’s mask daringly. “Will you take that off? There’s no need to hide away from me; I’ve seen everything now.”

Kylo reluctantly removes his mask to look as Hux with his own eyes, ignoring that last remark. “How did you get them to respect you again?”

“It will come,” Hux promises, “in time.”

Kylo can feel the tears sting his eyes again and he wishes he hadn’t taken off his helmet. “How will they ever respect me? Now that they’ve seen me?”

“I respect you.” Hux’s expression is open, genuine. “I think no less of you because of yesterday. In fact, it made you seem more…human.” He takes a step closer. “And I will admit, it did thrill me a little, to see you like that. I have often wondered what you look like beneath all those robes, and you truly surpassed anything I’ve ever expected. I had always hoped though, that we would be in a more _private_ setting the first time I laid eyes on you nude.”

Kylo is trembling now, unsure of how to react to this confession, and all of a sudden feeling a great deal of _want_ towards the General, the man who comforted him and supported him during the most difficult punishment of his life.

“I’m sorry,” Hux says, shaking his head as if he’s realised he’s been talking on auto-pilot. “I…that was highly inappropriate.” He clears his throat. “I won’t bother you any longer. If you would like to…talk, though, you know where to find me.”

When Hux is gone, Kylo can’t help but think of the memory he’d been shown of Hux’s own walk of atonement. He hadn’t paid much attention to Hux’s naked body in his first viewing, but now he finds himself trying to recall every detail of the General’s physique.

 _We have both suffered enough_ , Kylo thinks to himself. Perhaps taking comfort in each other would not be so bad.


End file.
